Avalanche forecast

South Rockies

Dec 31, 2012 – Jan 1, 2013Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Thu
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–4
    Wind slabs may be found behind ridges, ribs and gully walls. In specific thin snowpack areas, it may be possible to trigger a failure on a deeply buried weak layer.

Confidence

Fair - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain

Weather Forecast

Castle: HN24 0.1/  L winds/ Tpres -12/ Mt. Top HS 130Harmer: M,SE/ Tmax -10.4/ HS 93, HN24 0South Racehorse: Tpres -13.8/ HN24 precip 1

Avalanche Summary

Size 1-2 loose dry avalanches failed naturally on Saturday. Explosives triggered a size 1.5 slab from a steep north-facing slope on Sunday.

Snowpack Summary

Loose dry snow may sluff easily in steep terrain and may be shifted by winds to create new wind slabs behind terrain breaks such as ridges, ribs and gully walls. A generally settled upper snowpack overlies two or more buried crusts. The December crust is found 70-140 cm below the surface and the November crust/facet layer is near the base of the snowpack. Recent snowpack tests have shown little reactivity on these layers, apart from in the Flathead Range near Fernie, where sudden results on the November crust and a large settlement were observed on Saturday. Although unlikely, there is a lingering possibility of triggering a deep avalanche, especially from thin snowpack areas. Check out the forecaster’s blog for more discussion on this.

Regions covered